As a container that stores substrates such as semiconductor wafers, a substrate storing container has been known conventionally that has a container main body, a lid body, and a locked portion.
The container main body has a tubular wall portion having a container main body opening portion formed at one end, and having the other end closed. A wall portion includes a back wall, an upper wall, a lower wall, a first side wall, and a second side wall. A substrate storing space is formed in the container main body. The substrate storing space is formed by being surrounded by the wall portion and can store a plurality of substrates. The lid body can be removably attached to the container main body opening portion and can close the container main body opening portion. The locked portion is a rigid body made from hard resin and is provided at a center portion of the upper wall. The locked portion is hung from a lifting member of a wafer transport apparatus when lifting the substrate storing container with the wafer transport apparatus, etc. With such a configuration, the substrate storing container is lifted by the lifting member.
Since the substrate storing container is transported by way of being lifted by the lifting member of the wafer transport apparatus in the abovementioned way, vibration occurring at the wafer transport apparatus propagates directly to the container main body from the lifting member through the locked portion. The vibration propagated to the container main body then propagates to wafers stored in the substrate storing container, and thus the stored wafers vibrate. The vibration of the wafers causes friction between the wafers and grooved plates retaining the wafers, and thus causes damage to the wafers, occurrence of particles, and generation of static electricity. Furthermore, static electricity generated causes particles and the like to attach to the wafers stored in the substrate storing container.
Patent Document 1: PCT International Publication No. WO99/39994